


Reconciliation

by shinyskarmorys



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/M, Healing, Post-Darkest Day, References to Depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28110399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinyskarmorys/pseuds/shinyskarmorys
Summary: It's hard to see the light when the love of your life does something unforgivable. But for Laurel, the light still persists in friends and relatives that will always care.
Relationships: Peony (Pokemon)/Original Female Character(s), Rose | Chairman Rose/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 5





	Reconciliation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KosmicKisses](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KosmicKisses/gifts).



> Thank you so much Kosmic for letting me write this poignant little piece for you and [SirenWritesStuff](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InuWritesStuff) \- it was a real pleasure! Malory is Kosmic's OC and Laurel is Siren's OC, both used here with their permission!
> 
> ((Content warning: references to depression and poor eating habits))
> 
> Update: now with cover art, also done by Siren!

The larger the house, the emptier it can feel.

It was certainly what Laurel felt, staring at the high ceiling for hours on end for the third consecutive day, soaking in the cold of the marble floors with every slow footstep she took. What was the point of all this space, all this luxury, when the love that it had all been built with no longer permeated its four walls?

But that wasn’t completely true, she thought, petting her shiny Eevee absentmindedly. She still loved Rose. She always had, and she’d decided so long ago that she always would—but now, after everything that had happened, everything he did and caused, she wasn’t sure _how_ she would.

No doubt the tabloids’ first question after the Darkest Day was ‘what about his poor wife’, but she hadn’t read them. No doubt there were people calling, presumably to check on her, but she didn’t pick up the phone when it rang. She didn’t want their fake pity, didn’t want to answer ‘how are you feeling?’ a million times over, when she didn’t know the answer herself.

 _If they really cared,_ she grumbled to herself, _they’d show up at the front door._

As if by prophecy, the doorbell rang.

Laurel practically jumped out of the lounge chair, sending Eevee jumping out of her lap and scurrying under the dining table. The tinny metallic sound had shocked her into sitting bolt upright from how long it had been since she’d last heard it. Naturally, her first thoughts went to Rose—but that wasn’t possible, given he’d only been arrested three days ago. It would take endless paperwork and a grueling trial before the possibility of her ever seeing him at her doorstep again; part of her wanted to wish it all away, but part of her wanted to see it through, just for some closure on _why_ he’d done this. If he had ever stopped once just to think… to think about her, at least tell her something…

The doorbell ringing a second time shook her out of yet another downward thought spiral, and she cursed to herself at how loud it was. Surely it was never this loud before. Everything sounded louder, looked greyer, felt heavier… 

“I’m coming, I’m coming—”

Her irritation died in her throat when she dragged open the door and saw who it was. Those were the last people she’d been expecting—certainly not as her first ever visitors since the incident.

It was Malory who had insisted she and Peony take the trip up to the Rose residence, knowing he would’ve never come up with it himself. If he didn’t want to associate with his brother before, he wanted even less to do with him now; this extended beyond petty sibling rivalry, and he was still unsure how to process it. But Malory, as always, reminded him of the priorities clouded by his tendency to put emotions first.

“Look, this is Laurel we’re doing this for, not Rose,” she had coaxed before they left. “I hate to think how torn up she must be feeling over all this. I know it’s hard for us, but it’ll be even harder for her. And if she’s all alone in that big house…” She paused. “Whatever else you may think about your brother, I know you had no such reservations about Laurel and only wished her well. Why not make that up to her?”

“Yeah… you’re right,” Peony had sighed. “I’m sure as hell not going to prison though—”

“Never said we had to, ever.”

“Alright… alright. Yeah, we can go see Laurel. I do want to talk to her, if I can. But I’ll let you have the first word.”

And so they’d made the trip, composing themselves as they rang the doorbell, but nearly dropped that composure when they took in the Laurel that greeted them: hair unkempt and uncombed, cheeks sunken and face pale, baggy disheveled clothes hiding signs of not having eaten a proper meal in days. Peony was about to say something, but Malory’s hold on his hand stopped him; then he remembered he’d given her the first word. Which was wise.

But perhaps, Malory had surmised, the wisest words were no words at all.

After a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the blonde woman stepped up and carefully put her arms around Laurel. She could feel how undernourished she was under the overlarge shirt and how she was beginning to slowly shake, but she was determined to hold on. To give Laurel the strength that she’d been sorely missing the last few days.

Laurel’s eyes widened and she didn’t raise her arms until much later; perhaps she’d been expecting them to gasp, or say something, anything that was an appropriate reaction to her pathetic state. But when Malory did none of that, and still didn’t, simply held onto her like she’d crumple if she let go… she let herself go and collapsed into the hug, taking one wracked breath after another on the other woman’s shoulder till she could finally feel the heated tears roll down her cheeks.

“It’s alright,” Malory finally said, though it came out a whisper that only Laurel needed to hear. She held on, gently rubbing her back as she sobbed. “It’ll be alright. I’m here.”

“I… I don’t know,” Laurel choked out, slowly lifting her head and gazing into the other woman’s blue eyes. They didn’t show any trace of pity—just a steady, warm glance. Behind her, Peony still made sure to say nothing, simply giving her a solemn nod.

“Neither do I. It’s all a lot for us to take in at the moment, and not easy to understand. But for now, let us do what we can for you,” Malory nodded, wrapping one arm around her shoulder and leading her back into the cold hallway, her husband following her. “Peony and I insist on it.”

* * *

Malory was firm the one thing they needed to do while they were there was make sure Laurel was properly fed. For a moment she worried she would have to work with a barren pantry, but found it stocked the same as it was when she’d caught up with her in more normal times. Which meant Laurel had simply not bothered to cook for herself at all, when otherwise she’d be prompt as ever for mealtimes… 

There were so many signs of derailment everywhere Malory turned, from the dying planters on the window to the thin veneer of dust on the mantelpiece. Things that were so out of character for the Laurel that she knew, the woman who revelled in being the lady of the house, the ‘brains behind the operation’ as Rose would say to social gatherings. Now those glowing words had faded into a shining past, one that his wife was sure to be doubting, how much of it was real and how much just an act…

She couldn’t help feeling sorry they hadn’t arrived much earlier, and was determined to make up for that lost time.

While she busied herself peeling potatoes to mash and setting the gravy on the stove, her husband decided to take up a task of his own. He slowly walked over to where Laurel had seated herself on the alcove, her Eevee back on her knee receiving generous pets. It would seem the little Pokemon had been the only thing holding her together all this time.

He wasn’t quite sure how to open the conversation, but fortunately Laurel got there first, patting the space next to her. “You can sit.”

“Thanks,” he nodded, carefully sitting down a little distance away, scanning her vacant face. “Have you heard from anyone else?”

“I don’t know. I suppose I have, but I didn’t really reciprocate them,” she sighed, gazing outside the glass. “I’m really not up to answering any questions—”

“No, of course not. I get it, believe me,” Peony rumbled, putting up his hands. “I have a feelin’ some of the people who reached out to me only just realised I existed. You’d think the first people to call would be our parents, right? But no, I had to do that myself. After years. Imagine that, Rose blowing up the country is what finally gets me to call home!”

Laurel smiled a little, then grew wistful again. “I keep wondering about that. He said… he said he was doing this for the good of Galar. But… we live in that same Galar, don’t we? If anything were to go wrong, like it has now… did he ever think about what would happen to us?” She clenched a shaking fist. “At all?”

“Hey. Look at me, Laurel,” he began, laying a firm but gentle hand on her arm; amazingly, she stopped and looked up at him. He sighed, unsure if he actually had an answer, but he could try. “I don’t think we’ll ever know what he was thinking. Or if he was thinking at all.” When she raised an eyebrow, he attempted to clarify. “I mean, that thing he was dealing with was a super ancient powerful Pokemon with goodness knows what kind of power! For all we know he was probably doing what the Pokemon wanted him to do. Maybe he simply didn’t know what to do with all that power and just ran with it.”

“Is that an explanation you’ve come up with to make yourself feel better?”

“Maybe,” he shrugged, not taking his gaze off his sister-in-law. “But so what if it is? We all gotta find our ways to cope, don’t we?” He took a deep breath. “I’m sure you find that surprising coming from me. But honestly… I could do the mean thing and say ‘I told you so’, but the truth is no amount of family history could’ve made me see this coming. The only way I’m ever gonna make sense of this is by seeing him as Rose the man first, and my brother second.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Laurel muttered after an endless pause. Eevee had settled down to sleep in her lap, snoring contentedly, and she carefully transferred him to his usual velvet cushion on the rug. “But the fact remains that Rose the man is the man I fell in love with all those years ago.”

“And maybe he’s still that same man, and he’d always love you just the same. I’m sure if he knows how much he hurt you he’d act differently. Too little too late, but…” He shook his head, sniffing the air and offering his arm to her. “Mmm, now that smells wizard! Come on then. Malory would’ve made sure you’ll be warm on the inside for a good while.”

Sure enough, aside from the three served plates, there were enough leftovers of the gravy, mash and vegetable sides to last the next three days. “And you’d better eat,” Malory chided lightly, scooping extra veg onto Laurel’s plate. “The next time I see you on Saturday, they had all better be gone.”

“So soon?” Laurel blinked, slowly picking at her food, though the warmth infused into the simple, heartfelt meal meant she couldn’t stop at one forkful.

“Of course. Peony might not be able to make it, but I’ll make sure I do. Maybe even take you for a stroll in the park. I won’t cease until you’re on your feet again.” She gazed up at the other woman, an obstinate but gentle glance in her eyes. “I don’t want you to stop moving just because the rest of the world did, Laurel.”

The former Ranger could only stare at her plate, a stray tear forming at the corner of her eye—but she brushed it off, along with the weight that was slowly being pushed out of her chest. It wouldn’t disappear overnight, of course. Maybe not even after they got answers.

But one thing that would always be true was there were still things that she could hold onto, the strength of friends even when times were the most uncertain. Even when the one she held the most dear was the farthest away from her, there were still lights flickering in that distance—the light she could see reflected back in Malory’s eyes. Trying to show her the way forward; ticking on when time seemed to stop.

She slowly looked back up, a smile slowly spreading across her face, which Malory mirrored. Peony grinned to himself, nodding towards her and returning to his mash. “T-thank you, Malory. And you too, Peony… thank you both, for everything. Truly.”

“Don’t mention it.” Malory squeezed her hand before turning to serve herself more gravy. “It’s the least we can do.”

The larger the house, the emptier it can feel.

But oftentimes, it is the simplest, kindest presences that make any set of four walls into a home.


End file.
